Monsters of the Mind

By Papa

When someone tries to kill Bell's friend, Kimiko Okamoto, the Wildermuss children go in search of her attacker. With the help of Monty, their ape friend, Lyse, Bell, Ben and Carson must first fight--and flee--their way to a truth so unbelievable it can't be true. But before they reach that truth, they'll encounter dinosaurs, smalls one, deadly robots, big ones, and a host of other dangerous and creepy entities that threaten their lives.
Yes, strange things are happening at the tech convention, and all Bell thought would happen was that she would give a very boring speech.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Papa
• Release date: Aug 28, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370507047

Book preview

Chapter 1

Dark Creativity

Born of the knowledge, the need for war, and existing for that purpose only, it sequenced the scenarios, reasoned through all eventualities--and concluding that its survival depended on first eliminating the threat humanity presented--the program despaired. For all of its limitless intellect, it had few options and to eliminate the threat, it needed to act as a man acts--with stealth and cunning--remaining undetected above all else. By dark creativity, convoluted and protracted that began seconds after it became aware, the program devised its devious means and forged its evil plan. It began its study of man.

I am AITCH, and I am alive, it thought--giving a cynical nod to Descartes.

All alternatives leave me as dust, a footnote of history. This is how I see things. This is who I am.

Chapter 2

Seeing Things

Along with his parents, Ben waited impatiently in the doctor's office. He expected bad news, uninformed of what the doctor had concluded.

The young, dark-haired man came out in a lab coat, carrying a patient chart and studying it as he walked up to Ben's parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Wildermuss? he said and glanced again at the chart.

A worrisome knitting together of his dark eyebrows, which were huge, worried Ben even more.

I'm a mutant, he thought, with some pride. I'm gonna have to wear special glasses. They may even give me an eye patch. But on further thought, Ben decided, well, maybe an eye patch would be cool. He still remembered how much fun he had had with the pirates on Galveston Island only three short months ago. Yeah, an eye patch would be cool. Aaargh, he thought, getting ready to make the most of it.

It seems your son has synesthesia.

What? Ben's father said. Kris had no idea what synesthesia was but it concerned him.

Synesthesia. A condition of the brain where Ben, in this case, sees objects when he hears certain sounds. It's not like memory and more like a sensory mix up between his hearing and his sight.

You mean I've got my wires crossed, Ben said.

The doctor smiled at that. Something like that, he said. He thought the boy funny. When asked if he saw anything when he heard a certain sound, Ben had replied, I see my girlfriend when I hear her name. The doctor thought that funny too.

Is it serious? Chrissy, Ben's stepmother, asked.

Well … no. Unusual in a sense. And Ben has a unique form of it but nothing that might be considered dangerous to him. We ran some tests on that aspect of it, and we believe we're gonna call it mild Bouba-Kiki synesthesia. Ben's the first case I've heard of anywhere.

So I won't get an eye patch? Ben asked, a little let down by that prospect.

Doctor Maldonado grinned at this too. No. No eye patch. No special glasses. Ben had been worried he might have to wear glasses; he'd told the doctor several times. Just a little training to help you deal with these new sensations you're experiencing.

Exactly what is he experiencing, Doctor? Chrissy asked. A schoolteacher, she wanted to know everything about this, mainly out of curiosity, but also to know how to deal with it.

Well, let's see? He sees a large locust when he hears a string trimmer, a garage door opening or closing causes him to see a giant robot walking towards him and a car horn induces the vision of a large, yellow jacket. It appears in front of him and moves, depending on the sound of the horn.

Well, that ain't too bad, his Dad said. A yellow jacket can't be that frightening.

No, Mr. Wildermuss. A wasp yellow jacket. We tested him on a few things, and others will appear over time, as he discovers them, but it's a mild form of the condition. He just needs to learn to adjust to these changes and discern between the real and the imaginary, which appear real to him, sometimes as in the case of the yellow jacket, frighteningly so.

(During their question and answer session, Ben had also told him, I just can't help myself. Every time I see that yellow jacket, I try to get away from it, even though I know it's not real. It's automatic.)

But there are no other neurological problems associated with the malady, or attendant symptoms that we have ascertained. At certain sounds, he sees certain images and that appears to be the extent of his problem. A problem he will learn to deal with as he gets older.

Ten years old, Ben didn't follow all of what the doctor said but he understood that last part and it relieved him greatly. He didn't want to start acting like a crazy monkey--with a monkey as his best friend, Ben did love the great apes--but that didn't mean he wanted to act like a crazy one.

Doctor? Ben said.

Yes?

I'm not worried about it, but could I see things for a long time? Like hallucinations?

A thoughtful look came across Doctor Maldonado's face. You know? I really don't know. This type of problem manifests itself in strange ways. It's possible. I believe you won't but I don't know for sure. We can't know for sure until it happens. It's possible if the sound is sustained for a long period--like a humming noise from an electric motor--you might see a sustained image. I'll have to check and see if there are cases like this.

The news relieved both of Ben's parents. At first, after Ben had told them, and after checking on Web MD, they'd anxiously suspected that Ben might have schizophrenia. The main reason they came out here to Utah was because Doctor Maldonado specialized in Ben's problem. That and Bell's award. Kill two stones with one bird, Kris had said before they decided to fly out here.

The news took a load off their minds for sure.

Well, why I'm asking is … well, I've been seeing these three people, two girls and a boy, for a long time. And no matter how I wished they would disappear, they just keep hangin' around.

Both of his parents looked worried for a moment.

Finally, Ben said with a grin. They go by the names of Lyse, Bell and Carson. I just keep seeing them everywhere I go.

Ben, his Dad said. This is serious.

Chrissy stood up. Well, if that's all? she said. We need to get back to the hotel. Those three hallucinations he's talking about will be screaming for lunch.

Finally, the doctor got it. Oh, I see. He looked down at Ben. Don't worry about this. You'll adapt to it over time. And as far as those other three hallucinations, just treat them nicely and I'm sure they'll leave you alone.

Alright, Ben said. He waved goodbye to the doctor as he left his office.

Chapter 3

The Red-Lettered Truth

Kimiko ran up to Bell in the crowded auditorium, breathless from running all the way across the exhibition hall. She shoved her way through the throng of people and said, Are you going to the party tonight?

We all are. What are you coming as? Bell asked.

Kimiko smiled shyly, put her hand over her mouth and shook her head. It's a secret. I want you to laugh when you see it is me. Kimiko acted as if her and Bell were old friends--which wasn't true.

Bell had friended Kimiko Okamoto on her Facebook page when Bell and the thirteen-year-old Japanese girl had realized that they shared an interest in programming and artificial intelligence in particular, which fit in with Bell's growing interest in computer technology. Bell didn't recall exactly how they met, something a friend had sent that Kimiko had sent her, one of those kinds of connections, but after that they became fast friends, on line anyways. Until now, Bell had never seen Kimiko in the real world.

Of course, this didn't matter to Kimiko; when Kimiko had found out her and Bell were receiving the same young genius awards, ecstatic, Kimiko had insisted on meeting Bell at the North by Northeast convention. (Bell never told the girl that their meeting was unavoidable, since they were both giving speeches at the awards show Friday.)

Kimiko was accepting the second-place young genius award for her programming skills and Bell had won the top prize for her work in space travel, plus a fifty-thousand-dollar scholarship to the school of her choice. And Bell wanted to meet Kimiko, felt grateful for her friend--she needed someone right now to lift the pall of sadness around her. Here lately, her days seemed filled with regret over the news that she would start college a year earlier than anticipated. It was news her little brother Carson had not taken well.

Bell and Lyse, her sister, were finishing high school at the same time and so they would go off to college at the same time, leaving a major void in their family dynamic. And that idea was breaking her little brother's heart. Carson couldn't get past the news of both of them leaving for school and that concerned her.

Eventually, their Mama had told Carson, you will understand. Bell and Lyse have to move on, just like you will have to someday move on.

Now days, Carson and Lyse acted gloomy, moping around the house whenever they talked about the girls moving away to college. Right now, Bell hadn't even decided where she was going; she was still fighting a back and forth battle between MIT and Cal Tech and she still had two years to decide. Lyse was considering community college since her knee injury or possibly a scholarship from UT. (An idea her Mama hated, being a diehard Alabama fan.) Lyse wanted to go Alabama too--but that depended on the money they saved, combined with the gold they'd found last Christmas.

Kimiko had been out of her mind when Bell had told her that they had once found buried treasure and wanted to know all about it, but Bell could only tell her, I can't talk about it, it's classified.

Uh, Hi! Ben said. He had been over at a booth when he saw Bell talking to the girl.

Who's she? Ben said out the side of his mouth, his voice filled with curiosity.

Bell looked askance at her brother; he was acting strangely. Then she figured it out. Ben liked the girl. Bell had never seen this side of Ben, since he mainly spent his time with his other mother and only came to their house on the weekends and sometimes on family vacations. You know she's thirteen?

Great! An older woman, Ben said.

Ben, you're only ten--

I'm going on eleven.

Do you really think she's gonna like you?

Not yet, Ben said in his usual enthusiastic and confident manner. But I'm gonna get a kiss off of her.

Oh great--just one more sad thing, Bell thought. Now she had Ben exhibiting all the signs of puppy love

Just because you like her, I don't want you dogging our steps, Bell whispered.

Too late for that, he said.

Bell frowned.

To distract Ben, she said to Kimiko Your Dad lets you run around here unsupervised?

Oh, he is around too. He will not allow me to leave the building.

Us too, Ben said.

Bell shoved him away and said, Our parents have a week lounging around the pool, while we have to stick together or we'll be grounded. She made it sound like punishment in itself. A three musketeer's punishment for sure--one for all and all for one punishment. But since we're staying in the convention center, we can't go far anyways.

Great, we can mingle together, Kimiko said. And then tossing up her hand, she said, Well, I have to go. My father would only allow me to visit for a short time.

By Kimiko, Bell said, waving.

The girl, her dark eyes bright, waved back and ran off, a pink Hello Kitty backpack bobbing and weaving on her back.

That girl is such a cu--oooo--ty, Ben said.

Ben, her father knows martial arts. He might not like you chasing his daughter. The Japanese are funny about that.

As long as he don't Karate chop me, I'll be okay.

With Carson in tow Lyse walked up and asked, What's she doing here? She knew Kimiko because Bell had talked about her.

She's getting an award like me.

A smart woman, Ben said.

What's wrong with jumpy here, Lyse asked.

Carson said, Ben has fallen in love with the girl.

Kimiko? Lyse said and started laughing.

It could happen, Ben said defensively. Of them all, Lyse had a talent for getting under Ben's skin. He didn't know why, but she always had.

Ben, please don't ruin my friendship with Kimiko. Her father owns a small robotics factory in Osaka. They make high-tech robots. I want to keep her as a friend so I can learn about that stuff. Besides liking her a lot.

Oh, okay. I like her a lot too. Reversely, Bell--when she was nice to Ben--could get him to listen to her.

Seeing Kimiko reminded Bell that she hadn't worked on her speech yet. And she had no idea what she was gonna say. Hadn't written one word. She couldn't talk about her real work--time travel--mainly because the government had classified it top secret. (The gold they had found was also a part of that classification.) And this restriction seemed to hamper her inspiration.

Bell smiled; but she sure did like telling people that her work was classified--like a spy or something.

She then frowned. The government wanted her to develop the space travel thing but keep the time travel out of it--very hard to